Where to check your H-1B status
You check your H-1B process status through USCIS.gov, the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website. This is the only place that holds the real status of your case. You will need your receipt number, which appears on the I-797 notice you received when USCIS accepted your petition.
Your employer's immigration attorney or HR department may also have access to your case through their own USCIS account, but the public portal at USCIS.gov is where you can look yourself at any time without waiting for someone else to check for you.
Key Takeaways
- Your receipt number (starting with EAC, WAC, or LIN) is required to check status on USCIS.gov, and it appears on the I-797 notice your employer received when the petition was filed.
- USCIS updates case status online, but the updates lag behind actual processing, so "case received" does not mean your case has not moved forward internally.
- Processing times vary by service center and by year; USCIS publishes current wait times on their website broken down by location.
- If your status has not changed in longer than the published processing time, you can contact USCIS through their online inquiry form, but response times are typically several weeks.
- Your employer's immigration attorney usually has faster access to case information and can sometimes obtain updates that are not yet visible on the public portal.
How to use the USCIS case status tool
Go to uscis.gov/case-status. Enter your receipt number in the search box. The receipt number is a three-letter code followed by ten digits (for example, EAC2024001234). Press "Check Status."
USCIS will display your current status category — "Case Received," "Case Under Review," "Case Approved," "Case Denied," or "Case Transferred." The page also shows the date the status was last updated. This tool works around the clock and is free.
The status you see is not real-time. USCIS updates the public portal periodically, so a case that is actually being reviewed may still show "Case Received" for weeks or months. The status page does not tell you where your case is in the queue or when a decision will come.
Understanding what each status means
Case Received means USCIS has logged your petition into their system and assigned it a receipt number. This is the first status every case shows. It does not mean your case is next in line or that no work has been done on it.
Case Under Review means a USCIS officer has opened your file and is examining it. This can last for weeks or months. USCIS may request additional documents (called a Request for Evidence, or RFE) while the case is under review.
Case Approved means USCIS has granted the petition. Your employer will receive an I-797 approval notice in the mail. If you are outside the United States, you will then proceed to consular processing. If you are in the U.S., you may be able to start work on the H-1B visa.
Case Denied means USCIS has rejected the petition. The denial notice explains the reason. Your employer can file an appeal or submit a new petition in a future fiscal year.
Case Transferred means your petition has been moved to a different USCIS service center. This can happen for workload reasons or if the beneficiary's location changes. The case continues processing at the new location.
Processing times by service center
USCIS publishes processing times for each service center on their website. The times vary significantly. The Texas Service Center, which handles many H-1B cases, typically processes petitions in a different timeframe than the California Service Center or the Vermont Service Center.
Processing times are measured from the date USCIS receives the petition to the date a decision is made. The published times change quarterly and reflect the oldest cases still pending. If your case is older than the published time, you may contact USCIS to ask why.
| Service Center | Typical Processing Range | Where to Find Current Times |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Service Center | Varies by year and quarter | uscis.gov/processing-times |
| California Service Center | Varies by year and quarter | uscis.gov/processing-times |
| Vermont Service Center | Varies by year and quarter | uscis.gov/processing-times |
| Nebraska Service Center | Varies by year and quarter | uscis.gov/processing-times |
Check the current times at uscis.gov/processing-times and filter by your service center and form type (I-129 for H-1B). The times are updated regularly.
What to do if your case is delayed
If your case status has not changed in longer than the published processing time for your service center, you can file an inquiry with USCIS. Go to uscis.gov/case-status, scroll to the bottom, and select "I am outside the normal processing time" to submit a request for case review.
USCIS will respond to your inquiry, but response times are typically four to six weeks or longer. The response may ask you to provide additional information, or it may explain why the case is still pending. In some cases, USCIS will escalate the case for priority review.
Your employer's immigration attorney can also contact USCIS on your behalf through their own channels, which sometimes produces faster results than the public inquiry form. If your employer has hired an attorney, ask them to check on the case before you file a public inquiry yourself.
Requests for Evidence and how to respond
If USCIS needs more information, they will send a Request for Evidence (RFE) to your employer's attorney or to the address listed on the petition. The RFE specifies what documents are missing or what questions need to be answered. It also sets a important date, usually 84 days from the date of the notice.
Your employer must respond to the RFE before the important date. If the important date passes without a response, USCIS will deny the petition. The RFE will appear on your case status page as "Case Under Review" until USCIS receives the response and updates the status.
Common RFE requests for H-1B cases include proof of the job offer, evidence that the position requires a bachelor's degree, proof that the employer will pay the required wage, and documentation of the beneficiary's education and work experience. Your employer's attorney will know what documents to gather and how to present them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does USCIS update case status online?
USCIS updates the public case status portal periodically, but not in real time. Updates may lag behind actual case activity by days or weeks. A case that is actively being reviewed may still show "Case Received" for an extended period. The status page is useful for confirming that USCIS has your petition, but it does not show the current stage of review.
Can I call USCIS to ask about my H-1B status?
USCIS does not provide case status information over the phone. You must use the online case status tool at uscis.gov/case-status or file a written inquiry if your case is delayed. Your employer's immigration attorney may be able to reach USCIS through their own contacts, but the public phone line does not handle individual case questions.
What does it mean if my status says "Case Transferred"?
Your petition has been moved to a different USCIS service center, usually for workload balancing or because your location changed. The case continues processing at the new location under the same receipt number. Processing times may differ at the new center, so check the current times for that location.
How long does H-1B processing usually take?
Processing times vary by service center and by fiscal year. Times can range from a few months to over a year, depending on the center's workload. Check uscis.gov/processing-times for the current estimate for your specific service center. The published time reflects the oldest cases still pending, so your case may be decided sooner or later.
What should I do if I receive a Request for Evidence?
Your employer must respond before the important date shown on the notice, usually within 84 days. Work with your employer's immigration attorney to gather the requested documents and prepare a response. Missing the important date will result in a denial, so mark the date on your calendar and follow up with your employer's HR or legal team to may support the response is submitted on time.